Where my stash money goes

February 21, 2019

I spent the day two days ago making a mini book as I had so many things I wanted to keep and record about Colonial Williamsburg. Yes there will be more scrapbook pages but it was fun to do something different.

I found some very old paper I loved which was like crackled and old and I had fun using different embossing powder (goodness when did I last use them) to replicate the finish for the chipboard letters.

The cover is very dimensional and I made the flowers

I added lace onthecontrasting spine and a button and elastic closure

It uses a hinged system to hold the pages which are all pocket pages

You can see the hinge system here

the cover before it was decorated

The pocket pages covered but not decorated yet

I used two paper bags from the museum to act as inside covers and to hold journalling and the maps of the museum

It was a fun way to spend a Tuesday.

Yesterday i worked with Nigel doing a paint refresh at a local store. It was heavy dirty work but fun to do it together and heck -t hat's what baths are for!

Today I am thankful that the headache I have had for a week is a little less - but I feel it building again. I wish I knew what caused it.

Thankful for the ability to transormflat pieces of paper and card into a 3 dimensional book - such fun

February 18, 2019

I am trying so hard to sort scrapping stuff so I know WHAT I have, WHERE it is and HOW I can start to use it up.

I think I am getting there but one thing is for sure. I have way way way too much stuff.

But I will get there.

In the hope of getting rid of more stuff I am thinking of runninga sketch compettionon here - perhaps setting s sketch challenge or somethinga nd offering some small prizes. They would be unopened things but not new. Sticker packs, embellishments etc. What do readers think - would anyone be interested in this. Let me know and if it looks like people would be interested I will host a couple of scrapping competitions with prizes.

Yoday I pulled out a very old Three Bugs ina Rug pack that almost went in my last RAK but I decided I liked the colours. So I determined to make a couple of pages with it and also threw some very old Junkitz eyelet tape too.

I also have a couple of photos to share made from the cyber crop at the weekend

This was a challenge to write int he first person for someone else so it was Kira and Fiki of course who have been VERY cross to be shut out of the bedroom whilst we were painting.

This is a white space challenge which I was quite pleased with - a carriage driver from Colonial Williamsburg

We have also been sorting at the flat - today's challenge was to sort all of the clothes out. It was very sad as she had some lovely clothes but they are all too small for her now and she has largely new clothes in the nursing home. We spent a few hours sorting them and they have all gone to a new good home and we now have an empty bedroom. We are getting there slowly but surely.

February 16, 2019

I was playing along with a cyber crop today and having fun making pages. I just find, sometimes, that a challenge will inspire me to make something.

I have made a few pages today

This one is very random. It is a picture I just snapped out of the car window which seems to epitomise the random weird stuff you see on a road trip. I loved the old car and the road stretching ahead. It was like stepping back in time. I like that it leant itself to a long photo too.

I managed to use the clouds butt he real bonus for me was using some leaves that date back to 2003. They were on one of the first layouts I made and were the only nice thing about that layout! They were stamped onto a nice parchment paper and then embossed in copper. I threw the layout away - it was pretty grim - but I kept the leaves ... just in case. Today was the just in case moemnt.

This is another one made

The embellishments were all from Poundland - showing cheap can be cute too. As was meeting piglet.

Then there is this page

We always make the most of our first morning in the USA as we are jet-lagged so up early and get to see places whent hey are empty and bathed in gorgeous light.

I also made a companion page for piglet - Tigger of course.

Today I am grateful for

a husband who did the shopping so I could scrap all day

a newly painted bedroom windowsill - been a while but done at last

the smell of clean laundry - I did find time to do that

and finally - because they are beyond lovely - my babies are upset they cannot be int he bedroom witht he wet paint so are sulking on their bed in the hall. Kira was UNDER the blanket when I stopped to get my camera.

February 15, 2019

It has been beautiful the last couple of days and it really is like spring is here. The crocuses and snowdrops are blooming and even a few early daffodils.

I have lots to share too.

First - I liked the digital page I made so much I wanted to replicate it in paper and this is what I came up with

I was pleased to get so many layers in and like the white space which is unusual for me.

And here are a couple of pages from our visit to Carlo's Bakery meeting Mauro and Grace.

This was made as part of my Design Team work for A Trip Down memory Lane and uses the gorgeous Prima Midnight Garden with lots of fussy cutting

And yesterday was Art and we have been working on Benningfield paintings and this is so very very different to my normal style - I am not sure I like it but I did persevere and finish it

and finally a few photos from lovely walks on the beach - first as Branksome and second this morning at Hammworthy were there was a mist that was so ethereal and where there wasn't a ripple ont he sea at all until a small boat went through - it was glorious.

February 12, 2019

It was haircut day today - Nigel needed it badly - me not so much so mine is shorter than I am totally happy with but it will grow - and meanwhile there are always brown paper bags!

We have had a couple pf quiet days although we did go and see a film yesterdy - All Is Love. I enjoyed it - but I did feel they could have lit some scenes a bit more. Yes I get that it was 1600s and I get they used candles but once I had accepted that could we have a few more candles please. I hate dark films. Some of the speeches in it were superb and I thogh Kenneth Brannagh was wonderful. I just don't like Judi Dench particularly.

I have also been scrapping - of course. I have been working on my Design Team pages for A Trip Down Memory Lane this month. These two pages are with the utterly gorgeous Prima Georgia Blues which I have loved. They have such beautiful gold foil embossing and are very classic Prima.

This first is a scene in New Hampshire that we just thought was lovely. There is lots of fussy cutting and some dimensional flowers as well.

This one celebrates the newest member of my family - the little baby named after his great great grandfather, my grand father.

Today I am thankful for

being on the design team for A Trip Down Memory Lane and the gorgeous things I get to work with

February 10, 2019

Firstly can I let everyone know the RAK of huge wads of paper has now ended and 4 people have lovely parcels of 100 sheets of paper and other goodies on their way tomorrow.And I feel a little bit better about my stash.

I will try and do RAKs again - but maybe just not such heavy stuff.

It's been lovely here today, though we possibly didn't make the most of the nice weather as we have been in most of the day apart from a trip to the supermarket - well a girl has to eat (can you explain why we did the food shoppingt his week and yet we are having a take away for tea!)

I have some new scrapping to share

Another couple od Disney pages that don't look very Disney

This one showcases the mill wheel at Riverside. I often see posts saying it isn't working but whenever we have stayed at Riverside it has always been turning - and we do enjoy watching it. The photo begged for the circles.

This was the last photo I took at Riverside this year. We were all packed, the car was loaded and we were just about to set off for Miami and then home. We had been a little disenchanted with Disney even before we went. We ddon't like the way it has changed, we don't like the upselling of everything, we don't like the alcohol int he parks, we dom't like how crowded it has become and we feel the magic has gone. We both agree the Disney best years for us were between 1996 and about 2012 and so we have decided we will not be going back for a long time - if ever. We have been for 5 of the last 6 years and so we are pretty Disney satiated and there are so many other places we want to visit. So Disney is off our agenda for the time being. (Well Disney World - Disneyland California is a whole other story!) I knew all this and it suddenly washed over me as we were leaving and I confess to shedding a few tears.

February 08, 2019

I don't know what the weather had been like in your neck of the woods but the weather here is yucky - yes that is a proper weather term. Yucky. Rainy, very very strong winds and just good old British Grey. At least it is not cold.

I need to update on the RAK of papers. Who knew a hundred sheets of paper were so heavy. They are going to cost a lot to post and whilst I am really happy giving away stuff I didn't want it to also cost me quite so much money so please comment if you are happy to make a small contribution towards the postage. To compensate for that I have also stuck in some embellishments, tags, ribbon etc. Just a few bits for newcomers to try out. But I am offering 4 packs and the postage will come to over £24 for the four (just over £6 each) so a little help towards it from each recipient would be appreciated. I promise you will get a lot for a very little.

Today we went to see Escape Room at the cinema which was very good. I think possibly the worst film I could have gone to see as I am quite claustrophobic ... not so much of small places but of places which don't have an easy exit. I always know where every exit is wherever I am. So it was inevitable it was going to scre the pants off me. And it did.

I have been scrapping but some of it is Design Team work so I cannot share it yet, but I can share this.

This was the sunrise snapped from the car on the day we were finally driving to Disney. It was quite spectacular.

And this page celebrates that we discovered we love French Quarter this year. We loved the breakfast there, the ambiance, the food court. We were happy we were at Riverside but loved the benefit of having both resorts to use.

and I used this gorgeous collection to scrap my cousin's beautiful little boy.

I haven't been dilatory in scrapping with paper as well though. I have a lot of stash to use up and am really trying to stash bust this year.

Ribbons are a focus this month and you will no doubt see them on every page.

The ribbon is the red stripes on this page. I would normally have used red card but it worked well to use the ribbon and it added a bit of sheen and texture.

The page documents a somewhat scary drive through New York City. We had been to NY several times but never ever driven - and that was a conscious decision. We figured we would cross the Hudson into New Jersey further north but Flossie, our sat nav, decided no this was not the way. She took us through Manhattan, taking us off the embankment at 42nd street where there was serious construction, in order to take us through the Lincoln tunnel. New York drivers use their horns before their brakes and accelerators - or so it seems. It was hairy and we both had eyes on stalks watching for directions. At one point Nigel said he was happy there were a lot of traffic cops on the street directing traffic. Once we were out the other side and into New Jersey I said it must have been scary and that I had kept my eyes shut! Not true of course. It needed all 4 eyes to get through.

Today I am thankful for

Amazon Prime. I think it is great value. Next day delivery, free reading books, free music, free tv and film. Sat watching a film as I type now. I love it

February 04, 2019

I cannot tell you how much I appreciate time to scrap. I used to squeeze my scrapping in between work commitments, often foregoing TV and sleep to scrap instead. Now I love the luxury of scrap time. Maybe I willeven get through some of the mountain of stash. I have joined a sort of self help group with fellow scrappers where we are supporting each other with using up stash and not buying new. I so need to do that.

Even though I have so much and could never use it all up I find I still agonise about each piece of paper or sticker incase I use it and then find something better I should have used it on! How stupid is that!

I have been using though and here are a couple of new pages

This first was to use a sketch and it included bunting so I managed to use up some more ribbon. Ribbon is the stash busting focus this month so expect to see a lot of it on pages.

This one used a page by Sarah Kentzer - lifted pretty much entirely - and it uses a lot of ribbon. I cut the heart out of thick card and then I covered it with different ribbons

The jewel at the top is from a piece of costume jewellery of Nigel's mom so there is a little piece of her ont he page too.

I loved these photos. We are both really good at navigating and have driven all over the states, but the visitor map at St Augustine flumoxed us entirely. It was fun to scrap these two photos.

We have seen a couple of films since I last blogged too. Green Book was fabulous - really enjoyed it and it brought home how awful segregation was. I would recommend it to everyone. The film we saw today - destroyer - I wouldn't recommend to anyone. It was a one star from me (Green Book was the full 5 star rating)

There are a lot of films out at the moment that we want to see - and we have been to the cinema 11 times so far this year. Well there is no point in having an unlimited cinema membership and not making the most of it is there!

Today I am thankful for

time - so valuable

new opportunities

cinema membership

and these made me smile - clever inventions and the cleverness and politeness of the Japanese

February 02, 2019

I did manage to get my longed for snow - but it was very little. Yes I know it causes untold disruption but I would have liked a bit more to play in.

It started snowing early evening and as it had been raining I said - and of course I am a weather expert - it won't settle. It did!

By 9 pm I was too excited and so we went out for a walk. No other footprints in the crunching virgin snow other than those of the fox and we could see where he went - up and down every single drive - he was a busy boy (or girl)

I was pleased we went out when we did as by the morning the snow was already thawing quite considerably and even our little road was driveable.

I was reminded, when it did settle, of the time we were in Concord with Nigel's brother and they warned heavy snow was on the way. At that point, I said it wouldn't settle as the ground was too wet. That was April 1st 1997 and the snow didn't only settle, it was the notorious blizzard of 97 that paralysed the entire eastern seaboard and at my brother in law's house, 27 inches fell in 24 hours. Proper snow.

I have been looking at the pictures from the USA (Barb my friend I hope you are OK and staying as warm as you can as I know you are in the affected area) and seeing the pictures of Chicago and Lake Michigan and Wisconsin and Minnesota. The polar vortex has caused unprecedented levels of cold and I mean real cold. I watch a video of someone throwing a cup of water into the air and it froze immediately, in the air, and formed its very own snow cloud. Now that is proper cold!

So compared to that my snow photos are pathetic but heck - they are all I have.

What do you do when it is cold and icy - yoiu scrap of course.

The challenge this month on FTLOPP is to use ribbon. Oh boy I have a mess of that too. Hundreds of yards of the stuff and I never use it.

So expect to see ribbon appearing on my pages this month.

I will start you off gently - just three quite discrete pieces of coordinating blue and beige spotted ribbon - the photos from Ogunquit beach which we loved.

However, just three small pieces were not going to help with the hideous stash mountain I have so I did another page - which I think you will agree uses some ribbon.

It even busted my xyron and I got covered in glue trying to stick it all down, but heck - it's pretty eh!

All About Me

I am Scrapdolly - frequently answering to just Dolly. I live with my soulmate Nigel, two cats and a Fiki monster and I love to scrap. Scrapping is my creative outlet, my daily therapy, my sanity restorer and where I meet my friends. Come share it with me.